This Website and the Sub Sites attached to it use cookies. For details please click here. By continuing to use this Website or any Sub Sites, you are consenting to the use of these cookies. You can switch off cookies at any time using your browser settings but if you do, this may affect your user experience.

ASHTON CRICKET

Email: ashtoncricketclub@gmail.com

As
World War Two was at last drawing to its end Ashton in 1945 signed as professional
Bill Lawton who for sometime had been an amateur at Werneth. Bill, later to
marry actress Dora Bryan, remained as pro with Ashton for three years. In the early
1960s he was back at Reyner Lane for several seasons as an amateur. In 1948, after
Bill Lawton had moved on, Fred Wharton was signed as paid man. Around this period
a young Alan Wright was making his first visits to Reyner Lane. Together with his
close friend Paul Bagley the pair attended every home match, be it first or
second eleven. At this time there were no Sunday games, the first eleven played
their remaining matches over two mid-week evenings. The second eleven only
played on Saturdays and therefore had fewer games. Today Alan is a life member,
trustee and former club secretary and is currently CLL secretary. Alan recalls
those early days at Rayner Lane. “Paul
and I used to have our own score books and we tried to keep up with
one or other of the two scoreboards. The main one with the two scorers was in
the corner near the railway signal box, with the other near to where the
present changing accommodation now stands. After a few years I was appointed
the first team scorer for the princely sum of five shillings, while Paul was appointed
second team scorer. In those days the club hired an Ashton Corporation double
decker bus to take the players and spectators to away matches and I was made
responsible for collecting the fares.” Of those
bus journeys Alan remembers the singing of professional Des Fitzmaurice, “Des had a fine baritone voice and he would lead the singing on
the bus back to Ashton - particularly on the famous occasion when we went to
the all powerful Rochdale and beat them for the first time for many years.”

Des
Fitzmaurice became the club’s first ever overseas professional when he joined
in 1949. At that time a number of club’s in the league were employing overseas
professionals and Ashton decided to follow the trend. This was not an easy
decision for the club to make and much discussion was given to the matter
before they finally agreed. A short list of names had been drawn up and from
this, one name that of Australian Des Fitzmaurice began to emerge as popular
choice. On receiving a recommendation from Lindsey Hassett, Fitzmaurice’s team
mate and captain in South Melbourne the club opened talks with the player. At
this time the Australian press were describing Des Fitzmaurice “as ranking with
the best medium pace right-arm bowlers in the country”. He played with South
Melbourne in district cricket and obtained the greatest number of wickets there
in 1946-7 and in 1947-8 was fourth in the bowling averages. Under Lindsey
Hassett’s captaincy he won the South Melbourne bowling average on four
occasions. Contract talks were concluded and Fitzmaurice agreed to join Ashton
in March 1949 becoming the first overseas professional to turn out for the
club.

Des
Fitzmaurice was an instant success with the club and such was the impact made
he was described as the best fast bowler in the Central Lancashire League. In
that first season Fitzmaurice took over 100 wickets a figure which would have
been considerably higher had it not been for the number of dropped catches.

Overall
the 1950 season was a truly mediocre affair only highlighted by a triumphant
Wood Cup performance. The team although having failed to record a league win by
cup final day, had risen to the occasion magnificently to send both Heywood and
Royton reeling out of the competition. To say Ashton were the underdogs in the
final against Middleton would have been an understatement. Middleton with two
league wins over Ashton held the league record at the time for winning the
trophy (seven times) and was the hot favourite. The game took place at Werneth
on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th July with hundreds of Ashton supporters in
attendance all hoping their side could produce an upset. Ashton introduced two
newcomers E. D. Thomas a medium paced bowler and A. Clarke a batsman who had played
for the Cricket Club Conference. In only his second ball Thomas was successful
as Ashton’s biggest threat Edwin Kay edged a catch to Fitzmaurice in the slips.
With Kay out for a duck, Fitzmaurice and Bradbury pinned down Middleton who
never really recovered from the shock of losing Kay early, as four wickets went
for 38 runs. Ashton were on top taking a further two wickets leaving Middleton
at the end of the first evening’s play on 78 for 6. Full of confidence Ashton
dismissed the last four batters on Wednesday for just 25 runs setting
themselves a target of 104 to win. The club’s followers were in high spirits as
Arthur Booth hit three fours off fast bowler Tyson’s first three deliveries. In
the first ten minutes Booth made 20 runs before being caught brilliantly at
backward point. The mood of the club supporters had soon changed as Bradbury
was run out for 25, Fitzmaurice went for a duck and Coverdale was leg before to
Tyson. These three wickets had Middleton’s hopes rising – but the determination
of Watts and Powell turned the game round once more for Ashton. At 84 Watts was
bowled for 20 but this was to be Middleton’s last success,

Taylor
opened with a couple before settling down content to knock up the singles along
with Powell. A boundary
from Taylor brought Ashton’s 100. Two more singles for Powell followed by
another from Taylor drew the sides’ level. Powell drew the cheers from the
Ashton contingent as he drove the winning hit towards the pavilion.

For
the start of the 1951 season Ashton lost the services of Arthur Booth and John Bradbury.
Booth was to join Lancashire, (though he would later return) while Bradbury
became club professional at English Steel. To offset the loss of these players
the club re-signed Percy Sharples who had played a major part in Ashton’s most
successful season ever in 1940. Denis Wolstencroft a pace bowler from Denton
St. Lawrence also joined along with Tim Wood who brought with him a big
reputation from minor counties appearances.

The
new season would also see an introduction of a third XI to play competitive
games on Tuesday evenings
against local clubs. Ashton was also taking more interest in their junior
section and a roster of 28 members was drawn up to help professional Des
Fitzmaurice run the coaching sessions. At the season’s half way stage of the
team occupied second place in the league with 23 points from 12 games. In the previous
campaign at the same stage they had 6 points from 6 drawn games and were bottom
of the table. Continuing to play some impressive cricket for the remainder of
the season the side kept up its challenge at the top eventually finishing as
runners–up.

In
May 1953 after four seasons with Ashton, Des Fitzmaurice was offered new terms
of £500 plus a benefit match to remain as professional for a further season.
However, he declined this offer and instead presented his own terms for a two
year contract plus an extra £90 for passage home to Australia. The issue was
not resolved until September when the club agreed terms with the player who
then remained with them until 1955.

During
the 1954 season Ashton set a record which they would rather forget. This event
occurred on May 30th and 31st during a Wood Cup tie at Reyner Lane against
Rochdale. As the game was being played during mid-week evenings with an early
start of 6.30pm, Ashton had difficulties in fielding a full strength side due
to the work commitments of the players. Amongst those brought in as
replacements was a young local lad George Mottram. George would later become a
firm fixture in the first XI and one of the club’s most popular players. Today
as the club celebrates 150 years he has the distinction of being the club
president. While still at school he was selected to play for the Lancashire
Schoolboys and was making a breakthrough with Ashton’s 2nd XI. Despite his
young age the club had no worries about pitching him in against Rochdale. The
visitors went in to bat on the Monday and Ashton’s outfielders proceeded to produce
a brand of fielding not seen for many a year taking some excellent catches. S.
Moodey excelled closed to wicket claiming four. Together the teenage Mottram
and professional Fitzmaurice performed an acrobatic fete to dismiss one bemused
batsman. ‘Fitz’ had a delivery hit for what looked a certain four before
Mottram arrived to get a hand to the ball knocking it down and back towards the
bowler. Taking a flying leap ‘Fitz’ caught the ball within inches of the
ground. In the game’s last over the professional took three wickets to finish
with six for 24 as Rochdale were all out for 79 runs. Few clubs had dismissed Rochdale
for such a low score and the home followers were fully confident of victory.
However what then followed left everyone connected with Ashton totally
shell-shocked and embarrassed. Rochdale whittled through the Ashton attack
taking the first five wickets without a run being recorded. George Mottram recalled,
“The team batting had been poor, we were
none for five wickets overnight. Henry Cockburn and I were there overnight still both on none. “When I arrived
at the ground the following night about 5.45pm Henry was already there and
fully kitted-out pacing up and down like an expectant father”. Upon asking what was wrong George received a somewhat surprising
reply, “’I’ve walked out onto the Wembley pitch in
front of thousands of people, but out there now it’s just you and me, I’ve
never been so terrified in my life’”. George
continued, “I reminded him that we couldn’t do any
worse than those who had gone before us.”

The
young Mottram was right as his partnership with Cockburn produced Ashton’s
highest stand of five runs before Henry was dismissed for three. At this point
Ashton was never going to win the game; some were saying it would take a
miracle to even reach double figures. As if as consolation the latter was
assured when Norman Harris the last man in nicked a single to become only the
fourth Ashton player to break his duck. Ashton’s ten ruins came from Mottram
(5), Cockburn (3), H. Ashton (1) and N. Harris (1) setting a lowest ever score
for the Wood Cup and an unwanted place in the history books.